Local media reported that Kosin was a transfer target of the English side's new owner, ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, but the modest stopper thinks the top league in England might be a little beyond his reach.

"When I heard about these reports, I thought it was a joke," Kosin told Reuters.

"But it's a nice feeling to be linked with a big English team.

"I still have to improve. I don't think I'm ready for that yet, but if it happened, it would be like a dream," added the 25-year-old Kosin, who earns just $300 a week as a professional soccer player in Thailand.

Thaksin, who has been living in exile since he was ousted in a coup last year, recently completed an 81 million pound ($163.8 million) takeover of Manchester City, a deal he says will help improve Thai soccer.

Analysts have dismissed the takeover as an elaborate publicity stunt aimed at boosting his image among the soccer-mad Thai masses, whose votes gave Thaksin unprecedented landslide election victories in 2001 and 2005.

Kosin lines up for Thailand at the Asian Cup on Monday in a Group A decider against pre-tournament favourites Australia.